The present invention relates to a respirator comprising a facepiece and a cover. The cover is movable between a first position, in which the cover mates with the facepiece and a filter is received therebetween, to a second position, in which a wearer can install or remove the filter. The filter includes an apex portion, a side portion depending from the apex portion and a continuous flange portion surrounding said side portion and projecting laterally therefrom.
Respirators are a common safety device used by people working in air contaminated environments. People such as construction workers often use respirators to prevent dust and other air contaminants from entering their respiratory tracts. Respirators are worn over the wearer""s breathing passages and work to prevent the wearer from inhaling harmful substances when the wearer is in an environment that contains unsafe air particles.
A common respirator is the facepiece that simply comprises a permeable filtration media formed into a cup-shaped to fit the contour of the face of the wearer. This respirator comprises an elastic strap that extends around the head of the wearer. In other respirators a nose clip is attached to the respirator and is utilized to seek to obtain a seal around the nose area. Respirators of either type are disposable and cannot be used repeatedly since the filtration media becomes saturated after extended exposure to a contaminated environment.
Some tightly fitting respirators have a non-porous elastomeric facepiece that supports removable or permanently-attached filters.
There is a need in the industry to provide a novel respirator that can be used for long periods of time and will be comfortable.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention seeks to provide a respirator comprising: a facepiece having a cup shaped portion for sealingly engaging a face of a wearer and covering the mouth and nose of the wearer; a cover having a cup shape that is complementary to the cup shaped portion of said facepiece, said cover being capable to detachably mate with said facepiece to define with said facepiece a void area; and said void area being cup-shaped and suitable to receive a filter having a complementary shape.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention further seeks to provide a respirator comprising: a facepiece having a cup shaped portion for sealingly engaging a face of a wearer and covering the nose and mouth of the wearer; a cover having a cup shape that is complementary to the cup shaped portion of said facepiece, said cover being capable to detachably mate with said facepiece to define with said facepiece a void area; and a filter having a cup shape, said filter is received in said void area.
As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention further seeks to provide a disposable filter having a cup shape and dimensions such as to cover a wearer""s mouth and nose, said disposable filter being adapted to be received in a void area defined between a facepiece and a cover of a respirator, said facepiece having a cup shaped portion for sealingly engaging a face of the wearer and covering the mouth and nose of the wearer, said cover having a cup shape that is complementary to the cup shaped portion of said face piece, said cover being capable to detachably mate with said facepiece.
Preferably, the facepiece comprises a first continuous surface and the cover comprises a second continuous surface, these continuous surfaces being complementary and operable to sealingly engage the filter therebetween when the facepiece is mated with the cover. These continuous surfaces surround the mouth and nose of the wearer. Furthermore, the facepiece comprises first and second parts, the first part being more pliable than the second part, the first part defining a continuous seal for sealingly engaging the face of the wearer and cover the mouth and nose of the wearer.
The respirator further comprises inhalation and exhalation valves mounted to the second part of the facepiece. The exhalation valve is designed to open in response to pressure from exhaled air and to remain closed between breaths and when the wearer inhales. Moreover, the cover is hingedly attached to the facepiece and comprises at least one releasable latch for locking the cover to the facepiece.
Most preferably, the facepiece comprises two V-shaped members, each V-shaped member having first and second branches, each of first and second branches has a longitudinal aperture adapted to receive a portion of a strap.
The filter preferably comprises a recess defined on the apex portion, the recess being generally circular. Furthermore, the flange of the facepiece includes first, second and third sections that are concave and that merge together through rounded corners. The filter has a generally triangular figure.